A continuous model of human dynamics

Bedogne’, C. and G.J. Rodgers

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2007, vol. 385, issue 1, 356-362

Abstract: Ideas and tools from statistical physics have recently been applied to the investigation of human dynamics. The timing of human activities, in particular, has been studied both experimentally and analytically. Empirical data show that, in many different situations, the time interval separating two consecutive tasks executed by an individual follows a heavy-tailed probability distribution rather than Poisson statistics. To account for this data, human behaviour has been viewed as a decision-based queuing system where individuals select and execute tasks belonging to a finite list of items as an increasing function of a task priority parameter. It is then possible to obtain analytically the empirical result P(τ)∼1/τ, where P(τ) is the waiting time probability distribution.

Keywords: Human dynamics; Complex systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:385:y:2007:i:1:p:356-362

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2007.06.025

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